History of Deltaria
Deltaria has a long history as one of the main civilizations of Majatra. In antiquity Deltaria was inhabited by various Qedarite and Enetric peoples, before becoming part of the Cildanian Hegemony. Out of the ashes of the Hegemony the Augustan Empire was born, emerging on the territory of Deltaria. With the Deltarian land-taking Deltaria's ethnic and religious makeup was forever altered, being brought under the rule of Delic-speaking civilizations. Deltarian culture would expand throughout Terra during the colonial era, establishing a number of nations with cultural and religious ties to the Deltarian homeland. Overview of governments Deltarian Prehistory Ancient Deltaria In antiquity, the territory of today's Deltaria was inhabited by various hunter-gatherer peoples speaking unknown languages. The ethnic and linguistic makeup was drastically changed as a result of the Qedarite Migrations, which saw Qedarite tribes settle throughout Majatra. During Classical Antiquity the territory of Deltaria, just like most of the southern shores of the Majatran Sea, was the site of Selucian and Kalopian colonization. Foremost among these colonies was the Selucian-speaking city-state of Leucopolis, established according to tradition sometime in the 8th century BCE. Leucopolis and its hinterland were conquered by the Cildanian Hegemony in 319 BCE, during the Selucian-Cildanian Wars, and during the wars Kalopian colonies in what is today Deltaria were also brought under Cildanian rule and thereafter were ruled by native tyrants, nominated by the Cildanian governor in Leucopolis. Dissatisfied with the rule of the Cildanian-appointed tyrants, the Kalopian city-states in Deltaria initiated a revolt in 229 BCE. Lasting until 221, the revolt received substantial assistance from the city-states on the Kalopian mainland, particularly Helios. After the revolt was crushed by the Cildanians in 221, the Cildanian Republic decided to punish Helios and its allies for their support of the revolt, and eventually most of Kalopia was brought under Cildanian rule by 205 BCE. For the next 400 years Deltaria would exist as an integral part of the Cildanian empire. During Cildanian rule the southern provinces of the Empire, including Deltaria, were heavily Kalopianized, as the language of culture, literature, and local government in the south was Classical Kalopian. During the centuries of Cildanian rule Deltaria flourished and produced a syncretic Seluco-Kalopian-Cildanian civilization that would later form the basis of Augustan culture. The Jelbo-Tukaric Migrations that eventually brought the Cildanian Hegemony to an end had a major impact on Deltaria, but Leucopolis itself managed to survive the Jelbo-Tukaric onslaught. In the Battle of Alazinder River of 39 BCE the local Leucopolitan levy, under the command of Rab Mahanet (Magister Militum) Esmunhalus Ptolmy won a great victory against the armies of Khan Timur of the Yelb Empire, delaying the Jelbo-Tukaric invasion and preserving Cildanian rule in Leucopolis. Caesar Diocles, the successor of Esmunhalos Ptolmy as the Rab Mahanet for Leucopolis, defeated further Jelbo-Tukaric attempts at conquering the province. When the Cildanian Hegemony disintegrated in 22 CE due to the civil war between Qart Qildar and the city-states under its rule, Caesar maintained his own rule in much of his province, creating a Cildanian remnant state that came to be known as the Kingdom of Leucopolis. In 27 CE Caesar proclaimed himself King of Leucopolis, and his descendants of the emerging Dioclid dynasty would rule the Cildanian successor state for centuries. For four hundred years the Kingdom of Leucopolis remained one of the many petty kingdoms in South Majatra, with a population composed of partly Kalopianized Selucians, while the rest of the region was ruled by Jelbic, Qedarite, and Kalopian polities, the most powerful and influential of which was the Kingdom of Irkawa. In 392 CE Augustus II Diocles was crowned as King of Leucopolis, and his reign was marked by a massive shift in the balance of power throughout the south of the continent. Soon after taking the throne, Augustus embarked on one of the largest campaigns of conquest on the continent. In 395 Augustus initiated the conquest of the Kingdom of Irkawa, the largest territorial empire on the continent. Following a rapid seven-year campaign, the entire Kingdom was conquered by Augustus in 402, who was then proclaimed Pharaoh of Irkawa. Ruling from the newly founded city of Augusta on the shores of Lake Majatra, Augustus spent the rest of his reign expanding his empire to the north and consolidating his dynasty. At his death in 433, Augustus left one of the largest empires that had ever been formed, that would later be known as the Augustan Empire. Under the Augustans Deltaria, their original homeland, would remain one of the most prosperous and developed provinces, and it is believed that around this time the entire territory was Kalopianized. Deltarian Migrations The original Deltarian people were a linguistic and ethnic branch of Proto-Artanian peoples, living mainly in central Artania, around the territory of modern-day Luthori and Ikradon. Between the 2nd century BCE and the 7th century CE, in a series of events called the Deltarian Migrations, the Deltarians left their original homeland to settle in Central Majatra, eventually establishing the Tokundian Empire. Throughout their migrations, Deltarian settlers mixed with existing local populations, most notably the Dun, Hobratz, Jelbeks and Selucians, thus Deltarian peoples share some but not all genetic traits. Yet they are connected by a sense of common identity and history, which is present to different extents among different individuals and different Deltarian peoples. Artanian Deltaria (prehistory-334 CE) The dominance of the early Deltarian tribes was largely caused by their expansionist attitudes and solidarity between each other, as well as their positioning in central Artania, giving them the ability to share technological achievements, such as the domesticated horses gained from the Hobratz in the south, and advanced metal-forging techniques from the Dunn in the north. Between 100 BCE and 99 CE, a Deltarian tribe called the Zargunians was engaged in constant warfare with the Hobratz tribes, the so-called Land Wars of Hobrazia, that eventually led to the creation of the first Hobrazian Kingdom. In the North, the Deltarian tribes were dominated by three major city states. While Deltarians had originally contented themselves with the occasional raid for slaves and pillage, a new leader had emerged, Samo, who united the three cities as the short-lived Risova Troika, the Deltarian Empire, around 300 CE. Empire of Three (cca. 300-334) The Empire of Three, began conquering the various Deltarian tribes with little resistance, uniting them under the guidance and leadership of the semi-legendary Daralian leader, Samo. With the Deltarians united, they struck north, taking the lands up to the furthest reaches of modern-day Ikradon and Dundorf. The Empire finally weakened under bad leadership and internal turmoil, and was crushed underfoot by a united alliance of Dunn. The destruction of the Empire of Three forced the Deltarian tribes to leave Artania and migrate to Majatra. Deltarian Pontesi and Vanuku (400-600) After the Deltarian tribes were forced to leave Artania, most of them settled in modern-day Pontesi, beginning the Deltarian Migrations that was to last for centuries. Following a major defeat by the Yeudi people around 500, the Deltarians left Pontesi to settle in Vanuku and Jelbania, at the time inhabited by the early Jelbic peoples in the aftermath of the Jelbo-Tukaric Migrations. Around 600, the Deltarian tribes, under the leadership of the Tokundian tribe, decided to leave Vanuku and settled in their final (and current) homeland in Central Majatra. Conquest of Central Majatra (cca. 600) Central Majatra was at the time ruled by the powerful Augustan Empire, against which the Deltarians would conduct yearly raids, reaching as far as Helios in 569. The initial raids were eventually defeated by the Augustans, who managed to maintain the Empire's frontiers. In 599 another massive raid was initiated by Deltarian chieftains Radomir, Bojan, and Branimir, and just like the previous raids it was easily repulsed by Emperor Constantine I. However Constantine was deposed in a military revolt in 604, reversing his military gains against the Deltarians, and by the following year they managed to occupy most of what is today Deltaria and the north-western parts of Kalopia in what is called the Deltarian land-taking. Although the Deltarians did not have any intention of settling in the Empire's regions, the collapse of its northern frontier opened the way for the final and permanent settlement of the Deltarian tribes. By the time of the land-taking there were seven major Deltarian tribes left, the Darali, Ushalande, Dorons, Akigans, Alazinder, Dissuwa and the dominant Tokundi. Their massive expansion changed the lives and cultures of the natives forever, and turned sworn enemies into cautious allies, and the Majatran natives were beginning to band together to launch effective raids and attacks on Deltarian settlements. The reprisal was horrific in magnitude. Thousands of Deltarian soldiers marched from their lands in every direction except the ocean, slaughtering everything in their path. Although the Augustan Empire attempted to regain control of its lost provinces, the fierce Deltarian tribes would defeat all Augustan incursions. However, due to their lack of unity, the Deltarian tribes fell into a prolonged civil war, permanently halting outward expansion and maintaining the borders established by the land-taking. Middle Ages Feudal Wars and Tokundi Dominance (600-900) The seven tribes had by then evolved into fiefs, with a Thane controlling each region. Hundreds of years of constant warfare and treachery turned the people fearful and cynical, and always ready to drop their farming implements to pick up axes and crossbows, but loathe to beat them into a ploughblade once the immediate fighting was over. Fiefs changed alliances quickly, and Thanes even quicker. Brothers would poison brothers, sons would poison fathers. Amongst the Darali, Alizander and Dissuwa tribes, the title of Thane was transferrable to the killer of the old Thane, and so bodyguards would become assassins to become kings, only to be slain by their former comrades several days later. During this period the Tokundi tribe came to dominate their fellow Thanes. Their army had been strengthened with the creation of the Huscarles, permanent bodyguards for nobles of Tokundi. Under the leadership of Thane Štefan IV, they skillfully used the art of diplomacy to undermine the other tribes, forging alliance with renegades and pacts with the weaker tribes they were successfully able to destroy their opponents in a series of battles. Victory was followed by great slaughters of other tribes folk, settlements were raised to the ground, women were raped and enslaved, men were brutally executed, the Tokundi soldiers would often take fathers and sons, or brothers, and make them fight one another to the death, before turning the fearsome Tokundi Hounds onto the 'victor'. In the year 991, Thane Štefan used his victory to create a Tokundian Empire, proclaiming himself Czar Štefan I, King of the Deltas, thus launching Deltaria into a new era of Imperial rule. Golden Age (900-1300) The Tokundian Empire continued almost unopposed for the next two hundred years. Although until then the Deltarians were a constant but ultimately impotent danger, the creation of a centralized Deltarian state created a much more serious and permanent problem for the Augustans. Just a few years after the establishment of the Tokundian Empire Czar Štefan led a series of successful campaigns against neighboring polities, greatly increasing his realm. In 997, following the Battle of Mytohyàon, the Tokundians conquered the First Jelbek Khanate, and a year later Štefan I invaded Augustan Kalopia and, after a crushing defeat suffered by Augustan Emperor Tiberius II, conquered the entire northern half of the province. Under the rules of the Czars Deltarian art and culture flourished, the administration of the empire was stabilized, sound finance was introduced and the Czar's decrees led to the creation of a judicial infrastructure, bringing about the end of trial by ordeal and reducing the arbitrary powers of the Thanes. Czar Štefan I was followed by eight other Czars, all bearing the name Štefan. With the Huscarles unchallenged and the Augustans defeated and humiliated, the Tokundian Empire seemed secure and was able to push Deltaria through a century of relative peace and prosperity. Hosian Empire The brief balance of power established between the two empires was brought to an end with the birth of a new religion in Barmenia, Ahmadism. Ahmadism was founded by Prophet Ahmad in the aftermath of the collapse of the Sacred Monarchy of Beiteynu. Ahmad's emergence in 1186 led to the reunification of most of Barmenia, and during his lifetime the Prophet led a campaign in the Eastern parts of the continent, bringing the Majatran world into the fold of Ahmadism. After Ahmad's death, his brother was proclaimed his Caliph (Successor), establishing the Ahmadi Caliphate, although a succession dispute immediately after the Prophet's death led to the Israi-Abadi split. Encouraged by the egalitarian message of the new religion and reacting to the high taxation and excessive centralization in Augustan-ruled Jakania and southern Kalopia, the Turjaks launched a revolt with the backing of the young Caliphate. In 1232 the Turjak rebels managed to expel the Augustan garrison from most of Jakania and, under the leadership of Mehmed I, proclaimed allegiance to the Caliphate in Barmenia. The newly proclaimed Turjak Sultanate also began a series of aggressive raids against surrounding polities, including the powerful Tokundian Empire. In an effort to eliminate the Turjak threat, the Tokundians began a punitive counter-raid into Jakania, also sensing an opportunity for southward expansion. As Jakania was formally part of the Augustan Empire, Augustan Emperor Anthony immediately ordered that they be attacked and driven back, sparking the Great War of the South (1233-1248) as a three-way conflict between the Turjak Sultanate, backed by the Ahmadi Caliphate, the Augustan Empire, and the Tokundian Empire, fought primarily in modern-day Jakania. The Tokundian invasion of Jakania brought it into direct conflict with the Ahmadi Caliphate, which took advantage of the turmoil by sponsoring a revolt in Tokundian-ruled Jelbania. Jelbanian territory had been conquered by the Tokundian Empire in 997, and, in spite of the Tokundian Czars' best efforts, its control over the Perimor Steppe was tenuous. Jelbek revolts against Tokundian rule took place almost each year throughout the three centuries of imperial rule, but all of them had been ruthlessly crushed. But now that the Jelbek rebels had the backing of the rising Caliphate, and inspired by its new religion, which had begun to spread around the steppe, the Tokundians had a much more difficult time containing the revolt. In 1239, while the war in Jakania was ongoing, the Jelbek rebels attacked and defeated a large Tokundian army led by the son of the Czar, Czarevich Štefan, whom they took captive and executed. The war led to the adoption of Hosianism by the Tokundian Empire when the latter switched sides in the conflict and allied with the Augustans. Initially, the Štefans continued their strict adherence to Tokundian paganism, while Hosianism was frequently persecuted. This changed, however, with the reign of Czar Štefan V, who ascended to the throne in 1230. Štefan V, an ardent believer in Tokundian paganism at the beginning of his reign, spent his first years on the throne conducting raids against the neighboring Hosian Augustan cities, often pillaging their rich monasteries. According to legend, in 1239 a captive Hosian monk predicted that Štefan's son would die a violent death within three days. As the monk foretold, Štefan's son Štefan was captured, tortured, raped, and killed by Jelbéks during the Great War of the South. The same legend also holds that Štefan V immediately accepted baptism within the Apostolic Hosian Church under the Augustan rite, and attempted to officially convert the Empire to Hosianism using all means necessary, including the destruction of temples and the torture and killing of pagan priests. However there was a much more pragmatic motivation behind the Czar's new religious policy. As the two Empires found themselves fighting against a much more powerful foreign enemy, namely the Ahmadi Caliphate, they decided to put aside their differences and enter into an alliance cemented by the adoption of a common religion. The two sides reached a peace agreement which resulted in the Tokundian Empire switching sides in the War of the South, the payment of tribute by the Augustan Empire, the promise that Emperor Anthony would marry one of Štefan's daughters, and, most importantly, Štefan's official recognition as Emperor of the Tokundians by the Patriarch of Augusta. When the war ended in 1248, the Tokundian and Augustan Empires were reduced to shadows of their former selves. The Empire lost Jelbania and several other territories, and from this point on the Tokujndians were fully integrated within the Augustan cultural sphere. By 1256, all Deltarian tribes were at least nominally Hosian. The Czar was however unable to terminate the practice of paganism in Deltaria, with even Čachtice, the seat of imperial power, remaining an important pagan cultic centre. His heir, Štefan VI, attempted to destroy the ancient temple of Čachtice and end its human sacrifices, but was met with a violent reaction from the population. Štefan VI was deposed and sent into exile, and his pagan cousin Vlastimir was placed on the throne. After three years in exile, Štefan returned secretly to Deltaria, and, surrounding Vlastimir's hall with his Huscarles, he set it on fire, killing the Czar as he was attempting to leave the burning building. After Štefan resumed his reign, further violent clashes between Hosians and pagans were avoided by the decision of the Veche, the feudal assembly of the free men in the country, to appoint Miloš Gordanović, the chief Tokundian pagan priest, as an arbitrator between the two factions. Miloš Gordanović decided, after a week of intense meditation, that the empire as a whole should convert to Hosianism, while private pagan worship should be allowed to continue. Not having sufficiently consolidated his power, Štefan VI accepted the compromise solution. Although Deltaria became nominally Hosian, Hosian beliefs never managed to fully establish themselves among the people. The actual conversion of Deltarians to Hosianism took a considerable amount of time, as it was only about 200 years later that most Deltarians had been baptized. Even afterwards, and up to today, the customs and deities of the old Tokundian pantheon continued to be preserved by the population, especially in the rural areas, while Hosian concepts and ideas were assimilated to those of the old religion. For instance, the most common depiction of Eliyahu in medieval Deltaria is that of a "Victorious Spirit", being presented as a figure of strength and luck rather than one of humbleness and piety. Hosianism did, nevertheless, become a central part of Deltarian Culture, and its adoption of Old Tokundian, the language of the Empire's ruling class, rather than Kalopian or Selucian, led to the development of a rich literary tradition that spread across the Majatran Sea. Downfall of the Empire and Civil War (1300-1397) However brutality towards the other Deltarian tribes, forcing them into a status little better than that of the native tribes that circled the empire, continued unabated. Gradually as the Czar's rule became increasingly centralised Czar Štefan VIII began to interfere with the minor noble's independence. His son's, Czar Štefan IX's rule became untenable upon his succession to the throne. The power of the Tokundian huscarles was overwhelmed as regional nobles aligned themselves with the mighty Ahmadi Caliphate and initiated a large revolt against the Czar and the Tokundian tribe. At the Battle of Sagfred, the Huscarles were beaten, Czar Štefan IX, his wife, and his three sons were cut down after the battle, their bodies mutilated. Several prominiant Tokundian Thanes attempted to restore the power of the Czar, but with the royal line extinguished, their efforts proved futile. Royal garrisons were reduced one by one, vengeance carried out upon any Tokundians unlucky enough to be captured. Tortured and horrifically mutilated bodies hung from the walls of most towns, wild animals fought for the scraps of rotting Tokundian flesh, pregnant relatives of the last Czar had their babies ripped out in the great public square of the former capital as the former followers and servants of Czar Štefan IX were hacked to death. The attacks upon Tokundian tribesmen continued unabated for a decade. A few thousand Tokundian survivors fled south forming a Kingdom in what is now Cobura, however they left behind them several hundred thousand corpses. With the collapse of the Empire the remaining five tribes once again formed their old Thanes, destroying the changes to governance brought about by the infamous Czars. During the revolt the Ahmadi Caliphate and its vassal states conquered large parts of Deltarian territory, reversing all the territorial conquests from the time of the Tokundian Empire. Great Deltaria (1397-1954) A few years after the expulsion of the Tokundians the small principalities banded together to form a polity traditionally known as Great Deltaria in 1397. With the collapse of the Ahmadi Caliphate in 1486, Great Deltaria managed to recover some of its lost territory, and the Deltarian polities began a process of colonial expansion beginning with the 17th century, establishing settlements in Keris, north Seleya and Dovani, in time giving birth to the Deltarian-speaking nations of Trigunia, Kizenia, Statrica, and Valruzia. Great Deltaria was characterized by the great degree of autonomy that the constituent kingdoms of the Empire enjoyed. Great Deltaria collapsed in 1954, following the assassination of the Czar, and was succeeded by a bloody civil war that lasted for more than 140 years, called The Terror. The Terror (1954-2086) The Terror was the first full civil war between Deltarians, the likes of which had never been seen before. It was triggered after the built up interacial tension became too much to bear, and the war officialy started in 1954, when Dissuwan Commander Jal Petor led an army into Daralizinder, triggering a response and retaliation by Daralizinder's National Senate, which officially declared war on Dissuwa. Provinces quickly chose sides, leading to an all out civil war. This was worsened by the fact that gunpowder had been discovered in Deltaria, and after that large scale armies had been transformed. Since now wars had yet taken place since its invention,however, its use was still not in massive demmand, and its effects still not fully realized, until the beggining of the war. It officially began with the battle of Hardón Pass, when Commander Jal Petor attacked the garrison stationed their. Commander Petor sent the bulk of his army throug the pass, including the riflemen and some of the cavalry brigades. He commanded his Vice-Commander Iríck Galder to lead this front, while he led a contigent of cavalry through the mountains and around to flank the defenders and attack them from behind. Natrually this was an enormous task, ambitious, and one beffiting of Jal Petor. He led the cavalry through the pass, but only with the assinstance of one of the native guides, part of the Patrici, a tribe that even today is allowed its own freedom from government juritiction, as long as "it stays out of trouble", which means it stays confined to its mountainous homeland. After one week Petor managed to reach the other side of the moderately high mountains, in them loosing almost 50% of his troops and cavalry. Never the less he continued his plan, and in a daring maneuver he attacked the back of the deffending line, crushing it, but almost getting surrounded and cut off from escape. Still, Iríck managed to get the main laine advanced quickly enough, and the battle was a success for the Dissuwan. Petor would continue to cut his way through Alazinder, using increasingly more elaborate and more daring plans all the time, until his first and last defeat near Naban, the current capital of Deltaria, but then only a moderately large town. This battle was catastrophic for his army, and even injured Petor himself, forcing him to amputate his leg and retire from a military career. He would go on to become a prominent player in the polotics of Dissuwa during the terror, until his death in 1903. At the battle of Naban, the Dissuwan army was put out as a line, stretching from a large cliff to a hill with dense forest. Its position seamed assured, and the Daralizinder army seemed to have no hope of routing it, but the general, his name lost time, decided to send in a large cavalry contigent near the Dissuwan line, with he himself in it. He hoped Jal Petor would not be able to resist attacking him in another grandiose scheme, and he was right. Petor himself galloped out to attack the cavalry contigent with his men, but durring that time when there was a gap in the line, the Alazinder Army struck, crashing into the broken line and simultaneously surrounding Petor and his Vanguard. He quickly cut his way out, but not without getting a slash at the leg, wich proceeded to become infected and had to be amputated. After the routing of Petor's army, the offensive against Daralizinder mainly stopped, as the war brewed elsewhere. For many more years the war was fought, and in it the nations were severly weakened. It went to the point where, in 1970, the nations had to trigger a ceasefire, and talks were made. Republican Era Early Republic (2086-2108) A Deltarian Democracy With the conclusion of The Terror, the six nations forged themselves into one in an attempt at self-preservation, raising the new flag of the Deltarian Republic. While the Dorons, Akigans, Tokundians and Daralians seethed under this new Republic, the Alazindians, Ushalandans and Dissuwans took control of the nation. A constitution was drafted, taking much inspiration from the constitutions of Artanian democracies, and political parties were formed in anticipation of leading the people in a fair and democratic way. Tentative inroads to social democracy were taken between 2086 and 2092, including the banning of torture, legalisation of prostitution, pornography, gay marrage, and the introduction of public libraries. However, ethnic tensions still simmered, with the Dorons and Akigans demanding full-fledged communism, and the Czarist Daralians and Tokundians bitterly resentful. Political Stagnation Between 2092 and 2108, the Deltarian Parliament fell to new lows. Every single party within Deltaria collapsed as fueding politicians resigned, created schism after schism and eventually filled the Parliament with nothing more than independents, most of whom were unheard of by the people and their names selected randomly from the ballot boxes. In sixteen years the only Parliamentary action was to further legalise prostitution and install soundproofing and improved security within the parliament. The Deltarian Particracy was dying, as the greed and ego of the nations represented officials prevented them from working together ; even those with shared ideological goals fought bitterly for power. The Deltarian State found itself close to collapsing, until the rise of the Communist Red Army in Doron Akigo. Middle Republic (2108-2129) Communist Revolution While political parties rose and fell, none staying longer than several years, trouble brewed throughout Deltaria. Unhappy with the political absence and low standards of life in Deltaria, the peasantry began taking up arms, and the first Red Army was formed in Deltaria. Attacks were launched on local government councils, and arrests made on the bickering independent politicians. Finally, in 2108 the Parliament was stormed and the Communist Red Army took complete power over the nation, installing independent politician Duke Studly IV as President. Stating that democracy was an integral part of communism, and that no society could reach the Communist Utopia under a Junta government, elections were called in August of the next year, and the communists stepped down. Newly registered political parties, were elected into office, with the Marchioness Party taking leadership. Anti-Quanzar Sentiment The intense period of Deltarian-Quanzari hostility began under the communist regime and extended to the end of the Deltarian Republic. The unrepresented National Socialists, Utilolibertarians and Totalitarians were appealing to the Communists to remilitarise, but they were largely ignored until Quanzari NeoSocialist diplomants censured the parties spoke out against them, making veiled threats of an Arms Race. Xenophobic and paranoid by nature, the Deltarians immediately united against Quanzar, quickly passing bills to remilitarise in expectation of further Quanzari pressure. From this point on, Quanzari fearmongering was used by the National Socialists and Totalitarians for their own ends, culminating with a Deltarian police state and genocide of Quanzari citizens. Decline of Democracy The new Deltarian particracy soon proved to be no less corrupt and illiberal than the age of the independents. The newly formed parties began an intense period of fearmongering, which was used to institute police-state policy immediately after the Marchioness administration ended. Voting blocs were created, most notably the Totalitarian-Communist-Nazi bloc, which began campaigns of intimidation and electoral fraud against their competition. Eventually all rival parties ; The Marchioness Party, the Democrats, and the Utilolibertarians dissolved in the face of insurmountable opposition. Late Republic (2129-2134) The New Traditions With almost all political opposition nullified, a coalition of Communists, Totalitarians and National Socialists instituted fascistic policies sometimes described as the original form of Nuncirism. The New Traditions was a program aimed at the destruction of national culture and history in favour of culturally sterile fascism and utter obedience. A constructed language known as Deltarian was instituted, with all others banned ; and Hosianism was banned in favour of a government-designed religion of state-worship. Despite efforts of the Republican and Dynastic government to enforce these New Traditions, the peasantry clung strongly to their national heritage, and the program ended in monumental failure with the rise of Czarist Deltaria over a century later. Selucian Conflict Partially as a result of Deltaria's increasing alienation from the international community, a brief naval conflict erupted between the Republic of Deltaria and the Selucian Empire after a Selucian transport was sunk in Deltarian waters. Naval and air attacks severely damaged both sides of the conflict in 2124, and a two-year ceasefire was agreed to. During this ceasefire, Deltarians began a domestic policy of extermination, aimed at ethnic Selucians living within Deltaria. Selucians resumed their bombing campaign on Deltaria, culminating in a successful kidnapping of a prominent Deltarian noble. A peace treaty was agreed apon, granting refugee status to survivors of the genocide in exchange for the return of the Deltarian noble and the payment of war reparations in the form of medical aid and oil. Collapse of the Republic In 2134, with little political or personal freedoms left within the nation, and no real resistance to the coalition powers, the age of the Republic ended. In line with the reformed New Traditions, the Oligarchs of the Republic declared the Republic to be defunct ; hoping to wipe out national history and heritage by allowing the Catholic Church to rise again. A new nation, the Dynastic Oligarchy of Deltaria rose from the ashes, striking up a compromise between the new traditions and the old religion, and allowing token political resistance. Dynastic Era The Dynastic Oligarchy of Deltaria continued the work of the late Republican Era, quickly chipping away at all civil liberties, enforcing stringent moral codes with invasive police action, heavily regulating commerce and business, and alienating Deltaria from the international community with heavy-handed and aggressive foreign policy. Throughout the history of the Oligarchy rule of law focused around keeping the status quo by any means neccessary ; civil unrest was dealt with brutally, potential threats disappeared, and radical religion was espoused to a population deliberately kept illiterate, hungry and drunk. The Oligarchy's foreign stance was unpredictable and extremely belligerent, seemingly with the goal of frightening potential enemies out of action against the Oligarchs. From the 2345's to the dawn of the next century Deltaria was plagued with political instability, famines, financial crisis and outright anarchy. However, the hundred years after that brought with it financial growth transforming Deltaria from one of the poorest nations in the world to an industrial powerhouse, paving the way for her expansionism throughout the Czarist Era and Post-Czarist Republican Era. Founding The Dynastic Oligarchy was formed by the famous politician Demzain Polyachov, who managed to unify the country after it split into two factions. The beginnings of the Oligarchy started when the Republic of Deltaria split into the Deltarian Union and First Democratic Republic of Deltaria. This happened after the freedoms of the Old Republic were diminished vastly by a bloc of Totalitarians and Nazis. First Oligarchy (2134-2166) The first two years of Dynastic rule saw international condemnation slowly turn to outright hostility. Local neighbours began the recall of diplomatic missions, trade ground to a halt, and Deltaria soon found herself alone and isolated in the Majatran basin, cordoned in by an archipelago of increasingly hostile neighbours. Deltarian liberation was taken up as a cause by democratic and socialist activies throughout the developed world. A multilateral invasion to oust the Oligarchs and bring democracy to Deltaria began to be seriously discussed by world governments ; not least those of Selucia and Quanzar, now sworn enemies of the new Deltarian regime. This all changed when Deltaria began to deliberately market herself as an irrational and unpredictable state, willing and capable of bringing her nuclear arsenal to bear over the slightest dispute. While her foreign enemies were quick to back off, the failed Lodamese Occupationn when the Dletarian Armed Forces attempted to ocuppy Lodamun briefly, internationally humiliated to the Deltarian Army, and the high conscription rates fostered new resentment for the ruling classes. State Adoption of Patriarchalism As the failures of the New Traditions became evident, the Oligarchs began to search for an alternate means of social control over the population. The answer was given to them when they witnessed the ease in which Radoslav Volic captured the hearts and minds of the local peasantry by proclaiming himself the Pope of the Terran Patriarchal Church many years ago. Figureheads and Clergy were elected directly from the Dynastic families, and the initial success of using the religion as a means of state control soon blossomed into the Papal State which endured throughout the rest of Oligarchal history. Institution of the Papal State Lodamese War In response to what was later discovered to be an empty threat, the Oligarchs declared the Libertarian Militia to be an illegal terrorist organisation, and intimidated the Lodamese Government into authorising a detatchment of Deltarian Peacekeepers into the nation, who immediately began a campaign of mistreatment and violence against the Lodamese citizenry. When the Lodamese Government realised their mistake and requested that Deltaria withdraw their peacekeepers, the response was an outright declaration of war on Lodamun. The Lodamese Government capitulated almost immediately, but a bloody guerrilla war continued for six years, causing massive devastation to the civilian population and infrastructure of Lodamun, and bleeding Deltaria's military manpower and supplies almost dry. Finally, facing the threat of intervention from neighbouring states, Deltaria brokered a white peace with the guerrillas and withdrew their forces from Lodamun. Lodamun had been ravaged terribly, and Deltaria had lost billions of dollars and thousands of lives without any territorial gains, but had asserted themselves on the world stage as a nation that would respond aggressively to any threat. Although only the smallest and poorest nations were intimidated by Deltaria's military power, all were forced to respect the fact that any conflict with Deltaria would cost far more lives and resources than they were willing to spend in the name of idealism. Cadaver Synods and Inquisition Concurrent with the Lodamese War, the Catholic Church of Terra was becoming increasingly erratic and hostile under the guidance of the mad Pope Innocent I. As he became increasingly paranoid and delusional, he ordered his predeccessor, Pius II to be disinterred and placed on synodic trial for heresy, sodomy and a slew of lesser offences. Amused, and eager to further promote their nation as unpredictable and dangerous, the Oligarchs allowed the Cadaver Synod to take place. Encouraged, Innocent I ordered new trials against various deceased enemies of the Oligarchial Regime, until his attentions were drawn to a newly formed political entity, the First Party. Following the withdrawel of Deltarian troops from Lodamun, the Supreme Pontiff blamed the military failure on a lack of piety and Christian morals in Deltaria, ordering a Papal Inquisition against the population to root out heresy and athiesm. A relatively minor underground political organisation ; the First Party, were the only target of these purges that had any degree of organisation or funding, and as such began to attract thousands of displaced and fugitive citizens fleeing the Inquisition. When the Oligarchs noticed the cause of the growing support for the First Party, they attempted to arrest the development by immediately halting the Inquisition and legalising the Party, but the damage to their unchallenged rule was already done. Chicken Coop Dispute Attempting to hide the cracks that were now appearing in their ironclad reign over Deltaria, the Oligarchs engineered another international debacle designed to prove their rule was grounded in popular support. Dundorf, a longtime ally of Deltaria, was suddenly and unexpectedly faced with a bizarre ultimatum ; fulfill a minor contract to paint a chicken coop, undertaken by a long-dead ancestor of the Dundorfian Premier, or face total and unrestricted war with the Deltarian nation. Deltaria exploded into a series of Government-instigated riots, protests and violent assaults, all nominally aimed at the Dundorfian Government. In a state of shock, the Dundorfian Premier complied with the request, and the Oligarchs were seen to have the blindly devoted support of their populace, as the Oligarchal coersion and threats of imprisonment that spurred the protesters into action were not discovered until many decades later. However, the trust and goodwill between Deltaria and Dundorf was irreparably damaged, as Dundorfians began to view Deltaria as an aggressive and belligerent menace capable of turning on even their closest allies. Czarist Era The Age of the Czars (2375 -2748) After the destruction of the Republic under the the Oligarchy, a period of Czarist rule took over. During this time, the Czars quickly built up the Aristocracy, building great brick buildings with columns and domes to house the upper class and lords, while the lower classes mainly lived in lesser dwellings. The National Forum was transformed into the Imperial Council, and the Presidential Palace was expanded upon and became much more lavish, designated as the imperial castle. Under the Czars, military funding was taken to an extremely high rate while taxes on the serfs became high as well. unrest was high until the reign of one Czar, Nicholas the II. He brought forth a period of relative prosperity in a new age of lax taxes and more political freedom for the populace. He also tried successfully to industrialize the largely agrarian country, a model used by the Czars from the that point onward. After that, and under Nicholas II, Unrest was rampant, and many lower class citizens who were the base of the Deltarian economy. Nicholas was extremely successful, building up the economy and bringing down military spending. A main benefit of the spending was that it revolutionized the Deltarian Military, and successfully and fully modernized to make it one of the ruling armies in Majatra. The Ostravaka became the National Security Agency and the guards of the Czar, bringing with them even more power for the Czarship. They quickly became internationally recognized symbols of the Czardom, some seeing it as good, others seeing it as bad. This was a very long period in Deltarian history, and the pro-imperial mindset would lead to the civil war years later, during the new republic, and the Czarist became widely supported by monarchies throughout the world for their power, further making a longing for imperialism during the New Republic, sparking civil war. . The Jeltarian Era and the Imperialist Civil War (2658-2748) In 2658, Deltaria was brought under the rule of the Kennedies, merging with the nation of Jelbania to form Jeltaria, a nation which restored the Czarist ways to apease the Jelbanians, much to the satisfaction of the Neo-Imperialists, and was formally formed in 2668. Second Republican Era The New Republic (3000-3400) After the multi party system returned, democracy was once again volatile.'' ''This would remain in place up to 3251, about 200 years after the breakdown of the DFMC. Many parties all of a sudden began withdrawing from the ballots, until only two main parties remained. These two parties different ideologies made it so that little progress was made, and soon a third party entered the Forum, the Deltarian Worker's Party. This party was a staunch supporter of Communism, and together the other pro-socialists began to again steer the country towards Communist ideals. The Socialist Period It was soon realized that the Communist Coalition was prepared to go to massive heights to produce an "idealist society". The major economic industries were publicized, a mandatory healthcare system went into place, and the stock market went under government control. Personal Liberties were massively relaxed, to a point where all narcotics were legal, as was adultery, and all prisoners were taken directly to parole, something that caused major problems for the populace. Despite this policy of not publicly taking people to jail, DAIS, Deltaria's internal internal intelligence branch, began becoming very active, capturing people dubbed as "terrorists" surreptitiously. Many people disliked this overreach of power by DIAS, which many thought was just acting under the Communist Coalition's Orders to eliminate those the party thought were to much of a threat. As the result of the Communist Coalitions actions, the opposition party quickly became very large, and became the majority party in the National Forum as well as all Provincial Forums excepting Doron Akigo. Despite this the opposition was powerless to stop the two communist parties as united they were larger then it was. A major figure in this age was Peter Nabkov, the Premier of Deltaria, who was the head of government at the time. Nabkov tightened his grip on the country, co-authoring many increasingly socialist policies and furthering his own power as well.This socialization of Deltaria was only stopped when the DWP withdrew from the National and Provincial Forums after a crisis within the party split the hyper-radicals and loyalists, as they were dubbed. The hyper-radicals were those who wished to bring the nation under a totalitarian government, something not totally supported by the rest of the Deltarian Worker's Party. The Loyalists were thos like Peter Nabkov, who were trying to socialize the economy and consolidate power but not become so oppresive that DAIS would become like the Ostravaka, the secret police during the Czarist Era, who not only killed those said to be terrorists or those that were to much of a threat to them but almost everyone who did not go along party lines. Soon consumed by its divisions, the DWP vanished, dismantling the Communist Coalition and leaving the remnants of the Communist Coalition to try to keep the now jepordized socialist policies in place before the more popular conservatives altered them. The Keymon Crisis Main Article: Western Meria Crisis The Western Meria Crisis began in 3287 when Likatonian Troops invaded Keymon under the pretext of the Supreme Republic of Keymon killing of those of Likatonian ethnicity. Hoping that there would not be a repeat of the Quanzar Crisis, Deltaria's President decided to democratically vote in the Forum on wether Deltaria would assist the nations of Gaduridos and Keymon in liberating the nation. By the time Deltaria decided to join the conflict, Keymon had already been taken by Likatonia, with only a small base occupied by the Gaduridos still trying to liberate the island. Deltaria sent aid to help the liberation, which was successful. Meanwhile another nation and neighbor to Deltaria, Jakania, entered into the war on the oposing side, sparking a conflict of interests in between Deltaria and Jakania, which increased after a short period of time. This quickly cumulated into a full blown border war between Deltaria and Jakania. During this time a key figure was the Deltarian Commander-General George Horatio Fain. He was in charge of directing the war in Keymon, and did so successfully. He quickly implemented a blockade in Jakanian waters, not allowing any more ships to pass. This stopped Jakanina from sending troops to Keymon. This, along with the leader of Likatonia in the crisis, Solokoff, being captured, forced Jakania to surrender to Deltaria. Thus the war was a victory for the nation. The war itself had been very popular, with most everyone supporting it, partially becuase of the propoganda sent around. After the official conflict was over, Deltaria remained to try and help judge the main orchestrators of the invasion of Keymon, one of which was Solokoff. Commander-General Fain also managed to draft a peace treaty after the conflict, a great moment for Deltaria. Conservative/Right-wing Rule and Small Left-wing stint (3350s-3390s) With various parties fighting for power, the center-right Deltarian Patriotic Party managed to be the only recognisable and powerful political faction at the beginning of the 3360s over Deltaria. The long-established radical right-wing party of the Deltarian Civic Forum managed to form government with the neo-conservative Deltarian Conservative Party. However, this was going to change as the National Congress , Deltarian Collectivist Party and Progressive Agenda Party would go on to form the Deltarian Central Alliance claiming to represent the radical center, but having center-left policies. With the aid of the Socialist Party, the DCA managed to rule Deltaria for 12 years from 3370 to 3382. With the Socialist Party and Deltarian Conservative Party going on hiatus, the DCA got weak and the reformed Whig Party, LPPD and Deltarian Conservative Party and variants of their combinations ruled Deltaria continuously till the late 3390s. Late Federal Republic Era (3400-3466) The DCA managed to return to power in the mid-3410s continuing their rule till the mid-3410s. However, the right-wing re-established their rule by mid-3410s. During this time the Deltarian government had to face terrorism from the DBSM which would lead to the Valruzian Hostage Crisis and evetually the Valruzian Soldiers Crisis. The mid 3410's also saw the return of Noble Titles in Deltaria, to be awarded to those of worthy government service. This would lead to the first ever bipartisan government of Deltaria for ending the Valruzian Crisis which was led by the DCA and NC founder Dr. George Mathias, who would later win the favour of the right-wing and be President. The mid-3420s saw the end of the bupartisan cabinet and the return of the right-wing (Deltarian Conservative Bloc) governemnt with the Whigs and Deltarian Conservative Party. At this moment the DCA consisted of the Right To Choose Party and Deltarian Socialist and the only original member the NC. The right-wing government government under Poteat had this time declared of their wish to reinstate the office of Czar. Ths lead to direct backlash from the DCA and the Conservative cabinet itself would come to an end due to the withdrawal of support of the DPP. This lead to the re-establishment of the left-wing cabinet in Deltaria under the DCA, with the support of the DPP. With the Deltarian Patriotic Party now on the side of the DCA the conservatives had lost the nation. Five years of DCA rule under Workers Party President Schnultz brought Deltaria most of the things liberals had been fighting to gain for decades, these were retalitory reforms to undue and fix the government service cutting reforms of the Conservative Bloc. In 340 the nation once again voted Conservative, the return of the libertarian minded PZP had bolstered the Conservatives ranks. 3 Conservative Presidents would follow and a decade would pass all under the rule of the Deltarian Conservative Bloc. During this time radical changes were enacted, a national 10% flat tax, and enormous cuts in the federal budget. Towards the end of the Federal Republic, Deltaria experienced a resurgence of the Czarist movement. Following in the footsteps of the Deltarian Blue Shirt Movement, the newly formed Czarist Federation managed to win the 3455 elections by a landslide, gaining more than 61% of seats in the National Forum (just a few percentage points shy of a constitutional majority), and obtaining control of the Presidency, Cabinet, and Premiership. As a reaction, the provincial governments of Dissuwa, Alazinder, and Doron Akigo, dominated by the opposition Deltarian Central Alliance, decided to secede from the Federal Republic, forming the Union of East Deltaria and Doron Akigo. This act was the start of the Deltarian Czarist War (3457-3466) between the Czarist government and the Republican insurgents. Owing to the wide international and internal support received by the Czarist Deltarian State, the successor of the Federal Republic, the Czarist forces were victorious in the war, having Dušan z Čestibor crowned as Czar of Deltaria in May 3466. Second Czarist Era (3466-present) Reign of Dušan III (3466-3508) Early Reign Assassination attempt Lake Majatra War (3494-3509) Reign of Ľubomír II (3508-3548) Bátory Rebellion Szécsény-Barbu Rebellion and exile Clerical government (3513-3519) Rise of the Empire Reign of Miloš II (3548-3563) Viktor I and False Miloš (3563-3576) Fall of the Deltarian Empire Category:Deltaria Category:History Category:History of Majatra